Here we are with less than 8 weeks to go in Hellatus and I don’t know about you folks but I’m definitely getting antsy for the new season. My enthusiasm for the premiere reached high levels a couple weeks ago, thanks to attending Comic Con in San Diego and getting the chance to sit down and chat with folks from the show like Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Mark Sheppard, Sera Gamble, and Ben Edlund (be sure to check out the Interviews page to see them all!).
With so much Supernatural on the brain over the past couple weeks – thanks not only to Comic Con but to the fact that I’ve been watching all of the repeats airing on TNT as well as the CW – I’ve come to realize just why my favorite episodes are my favorites. There seem to be a few elements in each of them that sends a signal to my brain that tells me it’s a great episode and that I’m going to love it.
After writing my last article about my favorite music moments, there was no way I could do this one without mentioning the music. If I’m watching Supernatural and I hear a song by a band like Bad Company, AC/DC or Blue Oyster Cult – chances are it’s a great episode.
Bobby is the boys’ father figure. Their anchor when things are tough. The guy they call when they don’t know what else to do and where else to turn. But he’s also someone who’s not afraid to tell them like it is. Sometimes just using a simple phrase (like calling them “idjits”) is enough to break one or the other out of whatever funk they may be in….or just to get their asses moving before a hunt. Either way, it’s classic Bobby and I love it.
Okay I know how terrible that sounds. Heck, I cringed a little when I wrote it. But come on, think about it; whether it’s done for humor in an episode like ‘Mystery Spot’, or for drama in episodes like ‘All Hell Breaks Loose Part II’ and ‘No Rest For The Wicked’, a Winchester death makes for one heck of an episode.
Whether it’s struggling to wrap his head around an idiom that makes no sense to his angel ears, or trying to understand one of the many pop culture references that Dean uses; poor Cass is often at a loss when dealing with the pesky Winchesters. I guess he won’t have to worry about that so much now that he’s God (or thinks he is, guess we’ll find out in September which is true), but I always find his struggles to understand humanity very endearing – not too mention hilarious. I mean seriously, who will ever forget an angel of the Lord trying to analyze a porn movie?
Let’s be clear here. When I say “monster”, I don’t just mean a Monster of the Week type monster, though those are included. I’m also talking demons, angels, basically anything and everything that kicks the Winchesters asses. Because as much as we like to see our boys win, that doesn’t mean anything unless they beat something truly friggin’ badass to do it. Whether it’s the Yellow-Eyed Demon, Lucifer, Lilith, Eve or even just a run-of-the-mill vampire with a really bad attitude, nothing says a great episode of Supernatural to me like a nasty villain.
There they are, the five things that I think make up a great episode of Supernatural. Not all of my favorites have all five of these elements, but I guarantee they have at least one. Or sometimes maybe even two or three.
So what about you guys? What is it about certain episodes that turn them from being simply good to being great for you?
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